


Isolation

by panthershabit



Category: Avengers: Endgame - Fandom, Avengers: Infinity War - Fandom, Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame, Inspired by a Trailer, IronStrange, M/M, POV Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Reminiscing, Romance, Sad Ending, Short, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony-centric, Trailer Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 19:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panthershabit/pseuds/panthershabit
Summary: With nothing to eat or drink, Tony satisfies himself with memories of Stephen.





	Isolation

**Author's Note:**

> IronStrange for y'all, this account is where I want to write ships I've never written for before but have always wanted to. I decided to keep this short because Stephen's POV will the next part of the series after the next fic I post.

Stranded in space. Of all the ways to go,  _stranded in space?_  Despite the emptiness in his stomach, the tiredness both on his face and in his mind, Tony still managed to bubble out a small chuckle to himself. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was delirium or genuine humor but when he couldn’t believe what was happening, it turned out to be the latter.  

Tony was still obsessed with the imagery outside of the spaceship left behind on Titan. The river of stars and what seemed to be a planet just in sight but not close enough for a glimmer of hope in his heart. It was breathtaking, beautiful. Despite his best attempts nothing could help the billionaire out of this situation and at this point he at least owed himself the dignity of accepting his inevitable fate.  

In the corner, Nebula sat out of sight thinking to herself. The silence in the ship was awkward but given the circumstances, it wasn’t as bad. They both knew they would never see their loved ones again but it pained, even more, to know that their lives wouldn’t move on to remember them. No, they would die too with no meaning and no redemption. Nebula may have despised her sister growing up but...but this could have been how they got closure. Stopping their father and moving on. Tony wasn’t always the best team player but someone finally matched his cocky, know-it-all personality and he had to watch him disintegrate before him. 

If this was the only way, what was next? Tony knew Stephen wasn’t a selfish man – or at least not anymore from what he had heard, but from his perspective, the only solution Stephen had delivered was that he would be the first to go so he would not have to watch Tony die. Despite having only met in the face of what would tear them apart Tony had known about Stephen’s work for a while and in some sense was a fan. He’d finally managed to make something work and now it was gone. Not broken, gone. 

With a half-hearted attempt, he leaned forward and activated the voice message system in the half-battered, nearly destroyed helmet. The device scanned him and he slumped back against the wall and sighed. His charcoal vest felt like it was getting looser on his torso but he had forgotten what he used to feel like. What he used to look like. It had been a while since he saw his reflection, the glass in the ship wasn’t enough to give more than a hint. He didn’t want to die forgetting who he was so he decided to leave a message for Stephen. Even if he was dead, Tony found comfort in thinking about him and talking about him would make him feel a lot better. Should Stephen’s plan have ever worked and he sought to find Tony, he’d find this and get some form of closure. Better closure than what the genius trapped in space was getting. 

He tapped it three times and sighed again. 

“This thing on?” 

It made a small noise and answered his question before he could think any more of it. 

“Dear...Mr. Strange. I don’t know why but I just wanted to make this video ‘cos...well, I think we both know I’m not getting out of this. If you find this recording, don’t feel bad about this.” 

Tony’s head swiveled to look at the stars again and it pushed a smile onto his face. When was the last time he had done that since being on the ship?  

“I’m sure you have a plan, you always knew what to do. Plus, part of the journey is the end. Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds,” He explained, looking up at the wall of the ship. The entire interior had a bluish-green shade of light to it and if he ever did see Earth again it would take some getting used to. “But then again, I guess you know how that feels, what with yours truly coming to the rescue in your weird...bondage session with Squidward...” 

Now he laughed aloud. His nose crinkled and his soft brown eyes were hidden as his eyelids narrowed with humor. For a second, he had forgotten about his situation and focused on the memory of Stephen and...and Peter. The boy who used movie references to devise a plan and stunned Tony with his initiative. The moment the image of Peter terrified, crying out for Tony to stop him from going and even apologizing, he stopped. He knew Peter apologized because Tony would forever feel responsible for his death and he didn’t want Tony to feel like that. Even in death, he took Tony’s feelings into consideration. 

“Food and water ran out four days ago. Oxygen’ll run out tomorrow morning,” Tony listed. His voice remained unbothered and honestly, he was. At first, when the supplies ran out, he was disheartened but soon he came to be more understanding. He couldn’t change what would happen, but he also couldn’t change every moment he had with Stephen. The attraction he felt when he first saw met the sorcerer. The burn in his cheeks when they began to talk. "I know you said this was the only way, but for what? I miss you and I'm gonna die still missing you. Look, there's me thinking selfishly again. I don't blame you, or hate you, or anything. I...I just miss you."

Those words were the hardest to say and now his voice wasn't so calm. Now it was full of hurt. 

“When I drift off, I’ll think about you.” 

It had all seemed sudden in Tony’s mind but he felt crazy when it came to Stephen. Even if they had a handful of moments, each one of those moments stuck with the brown-haired playboy. Visions played back in his head of everything he could have had with Stephen, all the moments that could have been possible. But now they would not happen.  

With one flick of a switch, Tony turned the helmet off and dropped his head in defeat.  

Why did Stephen have to give Thanos the stone? 

At least if he had died on Titan, he would not have had to watch Stephen leave his life and spend the last few moments of it without him.


End file.
